Reigning Asian champion Lakshya Sen of India stands in the way of unheralded Malaysian Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin in the quarter-finals in the Li Ning BWF World Junior Championships in Markham, Canada.
In the fourth rounds matches on Thursday, the Malaysian continued with his impressive form in Markham with another win – this time against Japan’s Riku Hatano in straight games 21-19, 21-13 in 36 minutes.
He faces the Indian ace for a place in the semi-finals. Lakshya Sen the fourth seed was taken the distance by ninth seed Chen Shiau Cheng of Chinese Taipei before winning 15-21, 21-17, 21-14 in a match which lasted nearly an hour.
Ng Tze Yong joined Aidil in the quarter-finals when he packed off second seed Ikhsan Leonardo Emanuel Rumbay also in straight games – 21-13, 21-5.
There was more joy for the Malaysian camp when 2015 world junior champion Goh Jin Wei destroyed home favorite Wendy Zhang 21-11, 21-10 to book the quarter-final berth together with compatriot Eoon Qi Xuan.
Qi Xuan was equally impressive in her 21-19, 21-10 win over Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardana.
In the battle for the semi-finals, Jin Wei is up against Korea’s Lee Sol-yu while Qi Xuan faces giant-killer Line Christophersen of Denmark who stunned second seed Phittayaporn Chaiwan of Thailand 21-19, 21-19.
Malaysian also have two pairs in the mixed doubles – Choong Hon Jian-Pearly Tan Koong Le and Chia Wei Jie-Toh Ee Wei.
Pearly Tan-Ee Wei will also feature in the women’s doubles. The Third seeds Shiena Fukumoto-Natsu Naito after defeating Germans Emma Mosczczynski-Jule Petrikowski 21-10, 21-15.
In the mixed doubles, Wei Jie-Ee Wei beat Germany’s, Lukas Resch-Moszczynski 21-11, 21-12 while Hon Jian-Pearly Tan outplayed the Thai pair of Ruttanapak Oupthong-Peeraya Khantaruangsakul 21-19, 21-14. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH